The present invention relates to an aroma therapy delivery device, and more particularly to an inhaler device which delivers a therapeutic aromatic substance when the device is utilized.
Numerous devices have been proposed for delivering an aromatic substance when inhaled by the user. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,372 describes an inhaler in the size, shape and overall appearance of a cigarette. Aromatic substances including coffee, rum and menthol are packaged in a hermetically sealed soft gel capsule, and when the capsule is punctured the aromatic substance spills onto a wick surrounded by a tubular sheath. The aromatic substance is then inhaled. Other inhalers are used to ease nasal congestion and quell cough. When the aromatic substance delivered by the inhaler is inhaled eucalyptol, this substance works as an expectorant to loosen sticky mucus and make it easier to cough up and out of the chest. Additionally, eucalyptus oil functions in a similar fashion to menthol, obtained from volatile peppermint oil, by acting on receptors in the nasal mucus membranes thereby leading to a reduction in the symptoms of nasal stuffiness.